Nico Vaughan, the junior class "Nice Girl" wants to be free from her abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend.
Valen Henford, the school's resident "Rich Guy meets Bad Boy" wants to spend his senior year with the girl he's been in love with for years.
W...
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"A man is great not because he hasn't failed; a man is great because failure hasn't stopped him." (Confucius).
|◁ II ▷|
The sun pierces through the gap in my blinds, and I groan as I realize my alarm hasn't gone off yet. I lay in my bed for a moment, wondering what time it is but not caring enough to check.
Then I remember my nightmare and the fact that West knows. He's going to ask questions because he knows something happened. I've done better about the nightmares and my anxiety episodes, and the idiot that I am revealed to him just three—or four?—days ago that I only get nightmares about Dad or Hunter or anything else only the night after something happens.
I didn't think anything would happen. I was also just trying to comfort him because he was worried about me. He may not be a lot older than me, but he cares about me as much as Dad always did. He reminds me so much of Dad.
I force myself to sit up. Grabbing my phone, I move to the bathroom, trying my hardest to be quiet.
My plan is simple: Get ready fast, leave early for school, and successfully avoid West and his questions until I get home from school, because by then I'll have thought of something. If not, Juliette will be home and he won't ask in front of her.
"Amber?" I say softly into my phone. "Uh, I'm sorry if I woke you up again."
I wince. I didn't even think about that until now.
"No, babes," She responds, something clanking around on her end. "I've been up for about thirty minutes. I've got a test today so I'm gonna go to the library and study. I was actually gonna ask if you could get a ride with West today."
"Oh, good," I breathe. "Can you—"
"Wait," She cuts me off. "Did you say 'again'?"
I wince. Man, so close. "Um, well I called you last night, but now I think you were asleep and answered it sleep talking."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! What did you need?"
I sigh and continue getting ready. "I had a nightmare. West actually got up to come, um, help me get back to sleep and stuff. I don't want him asking questions, so can—"
"Of course, Nico!" she enthuses. "I'll be there in like fifteen minutes."
"Ah, thank you," I stress. "You're the best."
"Oh, I know," she says, and she hangs up.
I finish getting ready and eating my breakfast, and I check the clock. 6:38.
